Click to read this scenario about reasonable adjustments by the National College for Teaching and Leadership.

Jake is a pupil with severe physical impairments. He uses an electric wheelchair and his fine motor skills are poor. The setting is planning a sports day, and Jake is keen to take part. The setting has a CD on sports activities suitable for pupils with disabilities from the Department for Education and must consider how it plans activities to accommodate Jake’s needs and ensure he is a participant as well as an observer. The team goes through the CD and has some new ideas but they need to be adapted because in addition to using an electric wheelchair, Jake’s upper body strength is quite weak and he tires easily. In discussion with the special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO), a meeting is arranged to look at what would be suitable for Jake. Jake himself is a key participant in the meeting along with his parents and a specialist teacher from an outside agency that supports pupils with disabilities. It is clear that Jake really wants to join in the sports day with everyone else and the specialist teacher advises on the sorts of activity that would be most suitable for him. Sports day arrives and the setting organises the activities so that Jake is not faced with one physical activity after another, which would tire him. Where possible, they make sure Jake is doing a differentiated version of what everyone else is doing. For example, the darts board is placed flat on the ground for Jake instead of on a wall, so that Jake does the same activity as everyone else. Where this isn’t possible, they use parallel activities such as Jake manipulating his wheelchair between a slalom course of benches whilst other children are running an obstacle race. Sometimes Jake needs some extra physical help to join in. Jake is thrilled to join in the sports day and really enjoys himself: he didn’t ever think he’d be able to take part.

1. How does your setting include children like Jake in sports days or outdoor learning activities? Could they do more?
2. What are some ways to include children with severe physical difficulties in indoor learning activities?

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